Better Off That Way
by Catt416
Summary: He didn't want to break up with her, that was never his intention - yet he did anyway. It was better for them both, at least thats what he told himself...
1. Present

_Present _

"7…"

His hand came down on the handle, fully intending on opening the door, sweeping Jade up in his arms and telling her everything was fine – fine with them; no more shouting, no more text fighting and no more break ups. But then it hit him – hit him harder than Trina when she flew off the couch, doing that would mean he'd have to tell her everything, the secrets he'd kept buried, the lies he'd told. Most importantly he'd have to face the fact he'd broken his promise to her – about lying and keeping secrets. Except he was also on the verge of breaking another promise, the one where he was never going to leave her and stick by her side through thick and thin.

"10…"

The hurt he heard– felt in her voice brought him back to reality. Gripping the door handle harder than he'd ever held something in his life, watching the blood leave his knuckles, he made his choice.

Nothing in the world would change the fact he'd lied to her – one promise broken. So in his head it was safer – safer for her – that he broke another.

He felt her leave the door long before the chilling sound of her car engine rattled down his spine.

She was gone.

He hoped– prayed he'd made the right choice, anything was better than exposing Jade to the dark side of his twisted family.

At least, that's what he told himself.

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><p><strong>After watching Beck be so out of character in The Worst Couple I started coming up with a back story for why he was so angry, I hope you liked it and I'll try and update soon. <strong>


	2. Two Weeks Earlier

**Thank you for your feedback so far, glad to see people are enjoying my spur of the moment story.**

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><p><em>Two Weeks Earlier<em>

Beck remembered their first argument clearly, of course it wasn't their first argument as a couple – that would be a fairly tale for a couple who should be verging on four years together. No, this argument was the first of many, the first signal of the beginning of the end.

It was simple, yet complicated – predictable but unusual; Jade wanted to come over to his RV, an unpretentious request which would be perfectly fine, in fact totally unquestioned any other day. Unfortunately for the pair this wasn't any other day.

"What did you say?" She didn't try to hide the surprise in her voice, Beck never really denied her anything, never mind the right to go to what was basically her second home.

"I, look babe, its nothing big I jus–"

"Is Tori there?" Jade cut him off, barking down the phone

"Who- what, god no, Jade you know me better than that"

"I thought I did"

Before he had a chance to defend himself a click indicated the end of their conversation. Sighing into the dead line, the young actor ran his free hand through his thick mane of hair. The slight waver he heard in her tough exterior as she said those last few words rang through his head, of course she knew Tori wasn't with him, nor was it the suspicion that someone else was that had hurt her. It was the abnormality of Beck refusing something that had become so automatic to the young couple, alongside the idea that he didn't want her there. He knew that, that wasn't the case, but there was nothing he could do to convince her otherwise. All Beck knew for sure was that after that abrupt ending she wouldn't even try visiting his RV tonight.

Absentmindedly lowing the phone from his ear, Beck dug his heel into the gravel and inhaled the fresh air.

"Was that your girlfriend?"

The comment caught him off guard, causing him to swing round to face the door of his RV in an unorderly fashion, but regained his cool immediately after seeing who was there.

"No" He mumbled lowering his head and shoving past her into his mobile home, much to his annoyance she followed suit.

"What were you two arguing about?"

She began ideally picking things up in his room and examining them as Beck plopped himself down onto his bed, with every intention of ignoring the question. Eventually she stopped browsing and directed her gaze onto Beck, her dark brown eyes hammered into teenager until he was forced to retaliate.

"What!" Beck was never normally one to lose his nerve.

"What were you two arguing about?"

The words were so casual, as if the last 30 seconds had never happened, surrendering, his head once again lowered and he mumbled a quick 'nothing' into his shoulder.

"Hmmm…" With that her eyes began dancing around the room again, scouring and searching for something, Beck could feel resent pumping through his veins as his anger rose.

"So, Beck-y" She purposely stretched the last syllable out "Tell me about this girlfriend of yours, is she pretty? What do you two get up too?" There was a mischievous glint in her eye as she returned her gaze onto Beck.

That was it…

"What do you even want Elle? Why are you here!" Beck yelled – standing up to match her height, his voice suddenly went hoarse.

"Relaaaax, I just want to spend some time with my baby brother, is that such a crime?"

Her hand went to his shoulder affectionately but he shrugged it off instantly and returned to his previous position on the bed.

No one else had the ability to bring Beck so far out of his character as his estranged sister did, he'd never met someone with the power to make his blood boil that way, it was almost like she owned a remote to his emotions.

Stepping back from his current mental situation Beck finally took the time to actually look at his sister. Six years. It had been six years since she disappeared from his life, no contact whatsoever – until today, when he returned home from school to find her and her shady looking boyfriend sitting in the kitchen. Now at 22, Ellen Oliver could pass as a foreign princess, with long wavy hair that matched Beck's own in colour and deep-set eyes that shaped her intense gaze. These features highlighted her thin frame thoroughly, complimenting her aura of authority.

"Is this her?"

The mock innocence in her voice brought Beck back to reality, she was holding an old framed photograph of him and Jade from one of Andre's concerts, Beck's arm was loosely swung around Jade, with his hand hooked lazily round her arm – there was a genuine smile on her face as she looked up, in a totally different direction to the camera as he placed his lips onto the side of her head.

"…Yeah"

He wanted to smile at the memory, but in his mind that would be giving Elle more satisfaction, and he could already feel his control on the conversation slipping.

"Interesting… She's pretty, in her own way"

"Is that supposed to make me feel better or something?"

The words slipped out before his brain even registered them, another characteristic Beck had never known he had. However, she ignored it and carried on the bombardment of Jade question, all of which Beck was reluctant to answer.

The next day at school Jade ignored him right up until lunch. The lack of confrontation made him nervous, he even felt angry – why did Jade have to act abnormal now? Why was his life suddenly so abnormal right now?

By last period he couldn't take it, figuring now that his sister had, had her little 'catch up' she – hopefully – wouldn't bother him tonight and all he wanted was a regular night in with Jade. He hadn't told her he had a sister, and wasn't planning on it anytime soon, so while Sikowitz was occupied watching Cat and Andres scene he leaned in to Jades ear.

"Hey, babe, how about I buy you some coffee afterschool and we go back to mine for a movie or something"

"Can't, said I'd go hang out at Cats"

Beck simply nodded in response and turned his attention back to the front of the class, an unfamiliar feeling of anger which he'd began to get acquainted with rose in his chest as he subconsciously tightened his arm around Jade.

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><p><strong>I hope I haven't lost too many people with that chapter, trust me more shall be explained soon. Till then please feedback, all criticism is welcome.<strong>

**I'd also like to apologise in advance, I don't know why I started writing a story in the middle of my count down to most of my coursework deadlines, but I did. So I'll try my best to update quickly however if I don't it's because I've had to prioritise a little bit.**


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